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Luca Sbisa
| birth_place = Ozieri, Italy | career_start = 2006 | draft = 19th overall | draft_year = 2008 | draft_team = Philadelphia Flyers | ntl_team = Switzerland }} Luca Sbisa (born on January 30, 1990) is an Italian-born Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played in the NHL for the Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks and the Vancouver Canucks. Luca played major junior hockey in Canada with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL) before being selected by the Flyers in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Playing Career Luca was drafted 19th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. On October 1, 2008, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers. Prior to his entry into the NHL, he started his hockey career with EV Zug in Switzerland. In the 2006–07 season, he made his debut for that club in the Swiss National League A (NLA). Later, he played with the EHC Seewen in the Swiss Liga. In the summer of 2007, Luca was drafted in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL)'s annual import draft to the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Luca joined the Flyers for the start of the 2008–09 season, playing 39 games before being returned to the Hurricanes to complete the season. He returned to the Flyers to play in the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs. Luca replaced Daniel Carcillo on a line when Carcillo was suspended for taking a hit on the Pittsburgh Penguins' forward Maxime Talbot during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarter-finals. He was widely regarded as one of the Flyers' top prospects during his tenure in Philadelphia. On June 26, 2009 at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, he was traded (along with Joffrey Lupul and Philadelphia's 2009 and 2010 first-round picks) to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Chris Pronger and Ryan Dingle. On October 16, 2010, the Ducks sent Luca down to their then-American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, later recalling him on November 10, 2010. On March 8, 2011, he signed a four-year contract extension with the Ducks, worth $8.7 million with a yearly cap hit of $2.175 million. On June 27, 2014, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks (along with teammate Nick Bonino and a first and third-round pick in 2014) in exchange for Ryan Kesler and a third-round pick in 2015. On April 8, 2015, the Canucks signed Luca to a three-year extension worth $10.8 million, but on June 21, 2017 (having been left exposed by the Vancouver Canucks), he was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Career Statistics Regular season and playoffs International International Play Luca played for Switzerland in the 2010 Winter Olympics where the Swiss finished in eighth place. Personal Life Luca was born in Ozieri (a city located on the island of Sardinia, Italy). He is the first son and second child of Massimo and Isabella Sbisa. He has a sister, Chiara, who is two years older. The Sbisa family moved to Oberägeri, Switzerland, when he was a year old. At the age of three, Luca's parents took him to a game of EV Zug which made him want to become a hockey player. He is fluent in four languages: English, German, Italian and French. On July 9, 2016, Luca married his long-time girlfriend, Lauren Anaka Sbisa. The two met while he was competing at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Category:1990 births Category:Swiss ice hockey players Category:Philadelphia Flyers draft picks Category:Vegas Golden Knights players Category:EV Zug players Category:Philadelphia Flyers players Category:HC Lugano players Category:Anaheim Ducks players Category:Vancouver Canucks players Category:Lethbridge Hurricanes players Category:Philadelphia Phantoms players Category:Portland Winterhawks players Category:Syracuse Crunch players